GOP Steamrolls Dems Again, Confirms 15 More Judges

Mitch McConnell ushered through another three circuit court judges and 12 district court judges this week.

By NTK Staff | 10.12.2018 @11:30am

Republicans scored another set of victories this week when the Senate “reached a broad deal” Thursday to confirm 15 more judges appointed by President Donald Trump. In exchange, lawmakers were able to head home to campaign for reelection. The Senate will not return to session until after Election Day.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has made confirming Trump-appointed judges a top priority in the past two years. In August the Senate confirmed 17 nominees, in a move that infuriated liberal Democrats.

Brian Fallon, a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Clinton who now serves as the executive director of Demand Justice, blasted the August move.

“Trading this many lifetime positions away for a couple days back home in the dead of August is a metaphor for how myopic the Democrats’ approach has been at this dark moment in history,” he said in a statement.

“An entire branch of government is being lost for generations and Senate Democrats are willfully blind to it. In the coming months and years, these same Democrats will issue outraged statements about the rulings issued by the very judges that they could not be bothered to try to slow down. It is pathetic,” he added.

Fallon must be beside himself this week, considering the deal that Schumer cut with McConnell over these 15 nominees. At least one liberal opinion writer is calling for Schumer’s ouster.

Less than one week ago, Brett Kavanaugh became the newest justice to join the Supreme Court – a fact that is certainly still top of mind for many Democrats.

But those Democrats running to protect their Senate seats were likely thrilled to be able to return to their states to campaign. In fact, Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) were not in Washington to vote on these confirmations. Nelson, along with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), is in Florida, where a massive hurricane struck the panhandle of the state earlier this week.